How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?
by HaxeOrdinary
Summary: Sirius Black has been confined to Azkaban, through the veil and back and seen things far more horrible than anyone can imagine. But the next few hours might be what kills him. SBOC, AU
1. Some people just can't die

Disclaimer: I love Harry Potter and I love JK Rowling's work so I must give her her credit in this. The wonderful world of Harry Potter and it's themes and characters belong completely to her, not me. Anything original is mine.

a/n: Though the time between books five and six is short in canon, this story takes place after five but before six. So there are spoilers to both books in this story and the timeline is off a bit. Please, read and review because it boosts my spirits!

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Some people just can't die…. 

The heavy, dreary rain spattered against the window, mixing with the dusty remains of the summer day and streaking the once cloudy panes with a mucky residue. It was a good portrayal of the insides of the wizard staring out the window, mixed and murky.

He felt more aware of the unseen evil out in the world after the past horrific year and it sent a cold shudder down his back to his very toes. There were some nightmares he'd never be able to shake from his memory but the events that had transpired most recently took his breath away. Those closest to him skirted the issue; he knew they wanted to know but every time he was alone in a room with one of them, he'd find a reason to leave and find a quiet corner to be with his thoughts. Twelve years of his life were completely void of friends and now that he had genuine ones that cared for him, he couldn't trust them with his hidden deep, dark secrets.

Everyday he hoped that that would change and everyday he was disappointed.

The only person that truly seemed to not care was Ginny. She he didn't mind being around. And if she did care, she was very good about being nonchalant in his presence. If he happened upon her in his quest to get away from another, he'd lift a hand casually in her direction and she'd return her gaze to whatever she was doing.

* * *

"Gri-Grimmauld Place," choked the rain-soaked figure. Speaking felt foreign in the unused mouth and the words sounded even stranger to the ear. It took every ounce of thought, though, to make sure the apparition took and body parts wouldn't be splinched all over; so, alien or not, it needed to be said. 

With a thud, all body parts landed, thankfully in the correct order, in a puddle in the middle of the town square. Cobblestone raked against hollowed cheek and blood began to trickle into the standing water mixing with heavy raindrops. A wrist was broken, that much was certain, and possibly a leg, but being so miserable never felt so wonderful.

That was until the world went black.

* * *

The wizard at the window couldn't believe his eyes. A figure, or rather a lump, had appeared in the middle of the square from nowhere. Of course, his wizarding mind knew better but still, he wasn't expecting to see a wizard apparate in the middle of the town, in the middle of the day. 

"Ginny!" He exclaimed, beckoning the young witch to his side. He pointed to the heap of robes and explained what had happened when she scurried to the window.

"Stay here," she ordered, strength beyond her years sustaining her words. She dashed from the room and down the stairs to the kitchen where her parents were. Bursting into the room, shock momentarily took hold of her as she locked eyes with Professor Dumbledore. He looked at her and smiled sweetly. "Mum, Dad, someone just apparated into the square but they're not moving! I think they've passed out or something!"

The three adults leapt to their feet and ran out of the house and into the commons to the figure, Ginny close on their heels.

"Oh, Arthur! It can't be!" Molly exclaimed, wiping dark, matted hair away from the lean face next to the ground.

"Quickly! We must get inside before we are noticed," Arthur prompted, casting a quick levitation charm on the figure and giving Ginny a brief squeeze on the shoulder. He glanced around to the surrounding houses and wondered what exactly was going on, wondered who saw what had happened, and wondered if anyone was watching them as they hurried back to the hidden manor. That's all that mattered at that point, though. Once there, they could sort things out.

The little hairs on the back of Professor Dumbledore's neck began to stand on end; he could feel the pair of eyes on him from the dusty windows on the second floor. The rain was coming down harder now and he had to squint against it to look up at the younger wizard glaring down at him from his lofty perch. All Dumbledore could focus on were the piercing grey eyes staring down at him. It was not going to be an easy night.

The aged professor knew there would be a fiery argument to heat the walls in Number 12 that evening.

Shaking the rain from his dripping robes, he completed a hot air charm on his and the others' robes, turning their garments instantly dry and warm. He watched the Weasley's as they charmed the unconscious body up the stairs, past the landing, stopping briefly at the waiting form that had been standing at the window. He placed a hand gently on the cataleptic body's arm, not believing his eyes; finally, his anger growing with each passing moment, he let the Weasley's continue on to a bedroom to tend to his fallen friend.

Vehemently, he turned towards the steps to Dumbledore and threw a finger in the old Professor's face. "Why didn't you tell me!" he roared, anger taking over reasonably thought.

Dumbledore breathed slowly through his nose and said quietly, "And what would you have done, if you had known?"

Working his bottom jaw, he was unfortunately aware of the young children now within earshot of the argument, otherwise, he would have told the wizened wizard off. "I told you not to trust her!"

The sides of Dumbledore's mouth twitched and he simply stated, "Your thoughts were dually noted time and again when the Order was being formed. Both times, I might add. But, as I have done in the past, I chose to go with my instinct on this one."

"Your instinct will prove fatal to you one day, old man," Sirius growled. He felt like a hot poker had been stabbed into his heart by the only man he'd ever looked up to and the woman, unconscious in the next room, was the fire Dumbledore pulled the poker from.

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a/n: thanks for reading the first chapter of my story! I'd like to thank my beta, becca, for all the energy she put into this for me; without her, this story wouldn't be.


	2. Their past will never pass

a/n: Still do not own anything Harry Potter. Please start reviewing! I can't improve if I don't have input.

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April 14, 1977 

Snape scurried down the corridor and out into the open courtyard. Classes were ending for the day and clusters of students were already discussing their plans for the weekend. _Pesky little guttersnipes who aren't worth the thought process_, he thought as he weaved as quickly as he could through the throngs. One day, they'd all know his name and whisper it with veneration.

"Snape! Hey Snape!" Severus stopped dead in his tracks at the call of his name. It wasn't so much that he was being summonsed but who was doing the summonsing. He turned to watch her march across the commons, past the hordes of people; she ran her hand through her mop of brown curls as she paraded by a certain clump of young men, not paying them any attention.

She pulled on the knot in her blue and bronze tie and threw it in her school bag flung over her left shoulder, glad to be rid of it for the weekend. She kept her eyes on her target though; she didn't want him to escape her path again.

Angry, Sirius growled a long, low growl as he watched the minx saunter across the grounds to the waiting Snivellus. What she saw in him, Sirius would never be able to guess.

"Careful, my friend. You don't want to do anything stupid. Padfoot, she does it on purpose, you know," Lupin said softly, watching his friend's reaction. "She wants to get the fur up on your back, as it is."

Sirius tucked a tuft of hair behind his ear and averted his gaze from the girl. She had finally caught up to Severus and the scrawny git had promptly stuck his arm out just enough from his side so that the girl could wrap her arms around it. It was just something a Snivellus would make a woman do. "You seem rather sure of yourself Moony."

"Being so enraptured with books, surely he's read a thing or two about the opposite sex," James quipped, flopping down next to Remus but still fully in view of Lily Evans, across the way with a group of fellow seventh years. "Well, there're always a few things you can't learn from books."

Remus shook his head, "Enlighten us, if you're so knowledgeable."

"Well," James began, pulling out a small figurine and placing it on his knee. He paused momentarily as the miniaturized Clabbert shook off some pocket lint and hopped up James' lapel, attracting the attention of a close cluster of fourth years. "You've gotta be willing to stand in the spotlight. But more importantly, you've got to let the girl know how you feel."

"Oh bloody hell," Sirius guffawed watching the spectacle his friend was putting on. "Is that what you call what you do? Who said I even liked the boffin boot?" He threw up his arms in dismay and mumbled something about wanting to grab some dinner early so he could do something-or-other, too inaudible to be understood. His friends dismissed it as usual Padfoot antics.

Marching across the green, Sirius was too bothered to hear the fervent whispers and giggles on his behalf that usually followed him. He was too focused on his quest to hear.

Once free of the incessant stares of the others, he took a hard right and doubled back toward the Forbidden Forest to find some much needed peace.

* * *

"You weren't exactly forthcoming with your arm, Sev," she started but upon seeing his blatant grimace she continued, "—erus. It makes a girl think you don't like her." 

"Yes, well, we wouldn't want to inspire false thoughts in others, now would we?"

"What?" She asked innocently. She ran her tongue across her top teeth and her grin turned wicked. "You mean you don't want them to see us?"

"I don't want them to think I'm kowtowing to a female, is a more accurate assessment."

"Lovely. You know just how to make someone feel special."

"Flowery language is hardly my style," he said, pulling out his Potions book and making a few notes in the margin. He paused when he saw her tight look: lips pursed and eyes narrowed. "Even for one like you."

"Git."

"Faffer."

Popping her bottom jaw to the right, she did the best she could to conceal the smile that wouldn't leave her lips; Snape was a perfect sparring partner. "Writing more notes I see."

"Notes, corrections. Either or."

"Care to explain?"

"No," he responded rather icily, not bothering to lift his gaze from the text.

Determined to dispute his nickname for her, she pulled out her Charms textbook and flipped to the newest Charm Professor Flitwick had assigned. Scanning the grounds for anything that might be useful, she spotted a small, brown rodent scurrying across the grass near the Whomping Willow. "Accio Sciurus."

Snape lifted his eyes to his companion and asked, "What do you intend to do with that squirrel?"

"Practice. Unless you'd like to be turned green."

"Is that why you grace me with your presence every day? You hope to turn your magic on me?"

"No."

"Then why?"

She sighed and performed the charm, "Colôris smaragdinus," rather easily on the small rodent; it started to ferociously clean its emerald green paws.

Sirius threaded stealthily between the tall trees at the edge of the forest, his four paws easily finding proper footing between the dead branches and roots. Kicking himself for having such a weak disposition towards the opposite sex, specifically one member of that sex, he let his feet do the walking and before he knew it, he was spying on her. He could see them quite easily now and their voices were starting to sound clearer with each step he took. His heart had nearly leapt to his throat when Dani had scanned the forest and he felt certain that she would see him and his secret would be out. Of course, she might not have been able to truly see him, hopefully, and she would just assume him to be a Forbidden Forest creature who was wandering a bit out of its comfort zone.

"...You're the only person that doesn't want anything from me. And you didn't clutch onto me because I have the bollocks to stand up for what I believe. All those silly prats who think that by being my friend it will make them popular--forget them. That's why I like you."

"Because I don't care to be popular?"

"No. Because we both have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this."

"It does feel rather good to see the reactions on some of their faces, not that I really care."

"Right. That nutter Sirius is the best of all," she remarked, noting the flush that tinted Severus' ears an angry shade of red. "If he only knew that girls liked him to get closer to Potter, he'd _howl_."

Sirius had heard enough. Running as fast and far as he could, he put as much distance between himself and the wench as he could. Some people just aren't worth the aggravation.

* * *

1996 

Dani padded barefoot down the long hallway and staircase to the kitchen of Grimmauld Place in search of something to quell her appetite. She didn't know how long she had been asleep but her stomach told her it had been several hours since the last time she had eaten and that was all she cared about at the moment.

The basement was cool and dark and a shiver ran involuntarily up her spine making her hair stand on end as she reached the cupboard. It had been quite a while since she felt like that, and she knew instantly why.

"Sirius," she breathed. She turned around slowly, letting the moment seep into her memory. Even in the shadows, his steel gray eyes still had the same intensity as always and right now, that intensity was bordering anger and hate. "When I got word that you had disappeared, just vanished through the veil, I couldn't believe it. So, forgive me for not sending a 'welcome home' card when you came back out of the blue. I didn't assume anything less from you. Besides, I was otherwise detained."

Sirius merely stared at her, trying to process what exactly she had meant by her comment: a joke or a hateful remark? "How did you know?"

"Owls. I've stayed in touch with Dumbledore."

"Ah. Yes," he mumbled, using as few words as possible.

"So cold, Sirius. But why would I expect anything more? You've disliked me for how long now?" She hated her initial comment to him. There was just something about seeing him that drudged up the feelings she had for him as a youth at Hogwarts.

Shaking his head slowly, he murmured, "I think you can answer that better than I. Let's just say, a day less than you've hated me."

And with that, her shoulders fell along with her spirit. "Sirius," she said quietly, "I've never hated you."

"Could have fooled me."

"Why? Because of what happened? Or because of the friendships that I kept?" She let the silence grow to an uncomfortable level before finally speaking again. "It's a shame, really."

"What's that," he asked, not really sure he wanted an answer.

"I think someone hates someone here. But it's not me. In fact, I don't know if either is me." She stepped over to table and leaned over it to study Sirius' face. His time in Azkaban had been harsh but the nightmares he acquired in the past few months seemed to wear on him more than anything else. It hurt her to see the childhood chum she knew long ago had completely died from his eyes. She ran a finger down his jaw line and pursed her lips in thought. Calmly Danielle muttered, "Sirius, I think it's time you exercise your demons. Or at the very least, grow up."

He watched as she turned and climbed the steps, leaving him to the silence again. Their first meeting didn't go at all as he wanted but exactly as he had thought. Things were never going to change.

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	3. The Mermaid's Tale

Still don't own Harry Potter or the characters.

Thanks to my reviewers! It gives me warm fuzzies. To everyone else, please review!

* * *

"I never thought I'd feel anything so wonderful as a pair of shoes," Danielle sighed as she slipped on a pair of Ginny's Muggle sneakers. They fit just perfectly and she rolled her ankles around to enjoy the sensation. "Or legs for that matter." 

Ginny chuckled. "So what was it like? Being with them?"

Dani pulled her head through one of Harry's sweaters and thought hard about Ginny's question. Sliding her arms into the sleeves she started, "You guys don't know what it's like to be an animagus—yet, I'm sure—but when you become an animal, you have the luxury of also gaining their beastly mind. Merpeople, technically, aren't a creature you can transform into using an animagus. But there are other ways."

"Polyjuice potion," Hermione supplied. She shuddered involuntarily at her experience with the substance. "But polyjuice potion is only for human-to-human."

Dani smiled at the brilliant girl and lifted the bottom edge of her sweater and tee-shirt revealing her upper hip and stomach where bluish-green scales took the place of pale peach skin. "I know. I need to see Madame Pomfrey still." She pulled her tops back down and smiled mischievously at the quartet. "Remind me to stay away from Crookshanks for a bit." She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and let the long, brown tresses cascade down her back in soft curls. "I missed my hair too. It's weird to wake up with teal hair floating about you." She paused, her eyebrows arching as if surprised and then she laughed a tinkling sound almost like bells. "I'll never forget that first night the rest of my life. I kept thinking the potion would wear off and I'd drown in my sleep. Well, what little sleep I got. But the good thing about a human-to-nonhuman transfer? It sticks a tad longer than an hour."

Ron smirked at the memory of someone's lingering tail, nudging Hermione slightly with his shoulder to which she promptly slugged him in the thigh in reply.

"So what were you doing? Why infiltrate the merpeople? Doesn't Dumbledore have a good relationship with them," Harry asked.

Nodding, she responded, "Yes, but those are Selkies. I went to the Sirens in Greece which don't particularly care for human contact. You know, there are some magics in this world that we can't even begin to comprehend yet affect us to our very core."

"Like love," Harry said vacantly, staring at a nail in the floorboard.

"Yes Harry. Like love. The Sirens have a strong, ancient magic that Prof--," she paused, her ears perked a bit and she smiled, "you know what? It's really rather boring. And I think that Mrs. Weasley's expecting you all for breakfast."

The teenagers groaned but she shooed them all from the room with a chortle and a promise to tell them all her secrets later. At the moment, there was a more pressing matter to attend to.

"How long are you going to stand out there eavesdropping?" She asked, watching the open doorway for the figure to reveal himself. When his smirking face came into view, she turned and finished dressing to keep her smile hidden from the intruder.

"You lied to the kids," he said, all traces of having spoken with her the night before gone.

"How so?" she asked innocently, slipping her arms into her robes. Searching for her wand, she stepped over to the bureau next to Sirius, invading his personal space.

"You said an animagus couldn't be a merperson. As far as I can tell, a merperson is the perfect animagus. Which means, you already have one. What is it?"

Scoffing, she turned her attention to the sheets of her bed. He thought he knew her so well. He had just been lucky. "Eagle."

"So, Miss Goodie-Goodie is breaking the rules, eh? Who knew it was possible?"

"I know," she began, a twinkling in her eyes, "it must be this house. It inspires hooliganism. Just look at its owner." She moved to the foot of the bed and started searching the chest there.

"Very cute, Dani," he quipped. But that's all he could think to say. Months of not seeing her, and he was at a loss for words. The conversation from very early that morning weighed heavily on his mind and it was all he could do to keep from bringing it up. "Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less."

"What? Me being cute?" And just like that, she wished there was a spell to suck the words right back into her mouth. At the very least, she desired a Time-Turner, to be able to stop from making a fool of herself.

Sirius was more than willing to let the uncomfortable silence thicken the air. He would have found her discomfort amusing even, if only he could think of something witty to say. But he couldn't and nothing he could dream of saying would be remotely appropriate or enough to change the mood between them. Scanning the room, he plucked her wand from the nightstand and handed it to her who gratefully tucked it into her back jeans pocket.

* * *

The wizard standing at the front door brushed the dust from his shoulders and front and straightened his robes as best he could. The rain from earlier that day had given way to gusty winds which carried with them the grime of the town square. It was just another reason why he hated Grimmauld Place. 

"….I think Molly's fixed something good," he heard from a floor above him from the number one reason why he hated Grimmauld Place. He watched the owner of the voice come around the corner, on the landing above him, accompanied by none other than—

"Danielle?"

She turned to her name and smiled. "Severus!" she exclaimed as she bounded down the stairs and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was vaguely aware that he wasn't returning the embrace but he never had before and she wouldn't expect him to now. Pulling away, she smiled mischievously at him and asked, "How long's it been, Severus?"

"Entirely too long, I think," he responded, very conscious of the extra pairs of gray eyes on him from the stairs. He smirked with joy and savored the moment. "Our paths just haven't seemed to cross lately. But I'm extremely interested in catching up. Just like it was when we were in school." He turned his attention to the staircase and sneered, "You remember those days don't you Black?"

"With warm fondness," Sirius mumbled, scooting past them and heading on to the basement. For one last retort, he remarked, "As I'm sure you do as well."

He was never one to back down from a challenge.

"He was always too arrogant for his own good," Snape proclaimed, working his bottom jaw as his aggravation grew. "But, there are always bad seeds I suppose."

"Severus. Breakfast. Now." Danielle commanded, sick of the childish competition between the supposed adult men.

When she got to the stairs, she was surprised to be passed by four very unhappy teenagers on their way up from the kitchen. Grabbing the last by the arm, a very disgruntled Weasley with a plate of food in one hand and a box of cereal in the other, she learned that Mrs. Weasley had banished them to the study so that the adults could talk "Order talk." Danielle was impressed with the exactness of his mother's voice Ron could achieve and she promised to fill him in on all the good stuff when she was done if he and the others would stay upstairs and away from trouble.

Danielle hurried on to the kitchen and was surprised to see so many Order members already there. Sirius, Snape, Dumbledore, Molly, Arthur, Kingsley, Tonks, Lupin, and a couple other older members were crowded around the massive table, excitedly talking in hushed whispers over parchments and notes. Sirius seemed to be the only one to notice her presence, and he stopped his discussion with Arthur and Dumbledore long enough to shoot her a look that he had only ever given Snape.

He did not want her to be there, that much was certain.

Dumbledore, always more aware than she gave him credit for, called order to the other adults there with just a word. He smiled at them and beckoned Dani to his side. "I do believe that Danielle has some information for us."

She heaved a sigh, not ready to have to divulge what she had learned during her time with the Sirens. It had been ages since she'd seen them and all Danielle wanted to do was laugh with Tonks and talk with Lupin, be comforted by the Weasleys and gain some sage advice from Dumbledore but there was no time and she had a responsibility; and a bleak one at that.

"We've got a problem."

"A bit theatrical don't you think Dani?" Sirius asked with a hint of disdain to which Severus exhaled out his nose in disgust at the comment. Sirius shot Snape a look under his brow; a glance that no one was supposed to notice but that Danielle felt to the very tips of her toes.

"No. The Merchieftain is nervous; he's been calling a lot of village meetings lately. He knows something. Knows something about You-Know-Who."

"What are they going to do about it?" Kingsley asked.

"Well, that's why I went. To find out their secrets. To see if we could use them."

"And?"

"Well, it's not going to be easy."

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	4. And the winner is

**Disclaimer: same as others. I don't own Harry Potter**.

* * *

Danielle was exhausted. Her mind was tired, as was her body, and she felt that she could go to sleep for days. After a quick hug from Tonks, as much to calm Tonk's nerves as to do anything, Danielle decided to grab some toast and head back to bed. She'd have time to think later. 

Climbing the stairs, she was vaguely aware of the fatigue slowly claiming her muscles. Nonuse for the duration of her mission had made them a tad weak and it would probably take her a few weeks to get them back to full strength again.

She quietly walked past the portrait of the matriarch of the Black clan, munching on her toast as she did so. It was weird for her, thinking back, to have been in the company of so many Order members. She had only ever really dealt with Dumbledore, and of course knew the others from the first Order, except Tonks, but only ever in passing. Dumbledore had always felt she was of best use undercover or far away. It was enough to give a weaker mind a complex.

Rounding the corner for the next set of stairs, she grabbed the banister and started to climb once more. She remembered the four anxious teens waiting for her upstairs and hoped she'd be able to sneak by them without them hearing her. It wasn't likely though.

The others were coming up the basement stairs now. She could hear Molly chastising Sirius to act better in front of the children, which made Danielle smile. She was on the eleventh step when it happened. Her legs buckled under her and her shins slammed into the twelfth step. The sheer pain caused her to jerk back and, before she knew what to think, she was tumbling down the stairs.

Danielle flopped less than gracefully on her backside with a dainty "oomph" to boot on the landing. Pain shot in both directions from different points of contact and she could feel her face flush with embarrassment.

There was nothing worse than hurting your pride in front of half a dozen other people.

And that was the last thing she remembered before passing out.

* * *

October 31, 1976 

Danielle widened her eyes in the moonlight trying to watch the Quaffle dance around between her teammates on the other side of the field. She was keeping one eye on the action and one eye on Potter, trying his hand at seeker, and the seeker from her team high above her, trying to spot the Snitch first. She had thwarted Potter's attempts twice with a Bludger.

It was well past midnight and the professors had agreed to an impromptu "Halloween bash-pick-up Qudditch match" for a little holiday fun and to relieve the tension from the impending O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s.

The Quidditch captains from each house were granted the privilege of choosing any person from their house for the members of their teams, which made for some interesting experiences. Danielle, a natural Beater, had quickly been picked by her captain and co-Beater from the regular Ravenclaw Quidditch team to which she was paired against Potter's picks of Sirius Black and a fifth year that she had only seen in passing.

She turned her mind back to the game and saw with delight one of her teammates dodge a Bludger from the end of Sirius' bat and successfully toss the Quaffle through one of the hoops, scoring the first points of the game. She cheered along with her house quickly before launching a Bludger in Potter's direction, quickly prompting an uttered curse from the seeker's lips.

"Black! What are you? Asleep?" James yelled at the top of his lungs. Rushing to the other side of the field, James put as much distance between himself and Dani as he could.

Black gave the girl a flustered look to which she responded with a triumphant snicker. Unfortunately, her premature celebration made her vulnerable to the other Gryffindor Beater and he promptly blasted a Bludger in her direction hitting her squarely in the stomach.

With a very unladylike grunt, she fell over the back of her broom and barely wrapped her fingers around the handle before she could fall to the earth below. There was a scattering of gasps and laughs from the audience depending on team affiliation but it was only the jeers that Dani heard resounding in her ears.

Gathering her strength, she threw her leg up to the stick but unfortunately missed it and dangled again by her left hand. All thoughts of the game had vacated her mind and all she could think about was getting back on her broom.

"Need any help?" Sirius yelled from across the way. It didn't stop him from nailing one of her teammates with a Bludger squarely to the shoulder though.

"NO THANK Y--!" she screamed, her breath catching in her throat as the other Gryffindor beater pelted her again with an assaulting Bludger, which she caught in her chest and flew backwards away from her broom.

"Holloway! YOU GIT!" Sirius bellowed as he watched Dani fold in half and sail through one of the hoops. The watching audience didn't know whether to laugh or gasp but laughter won out and soon the entire stadium was roaring with laughter. Only Sirius seemed to be aware of the imminent danger that awaited Dani if she fell out of the boundaries of the Quidditch field.

Sure enough, he watched in horror as her body sailed over the last row of the audience and out of sight, as well as the protection, of everyone. No one could save her in the pitch now. Sirius, instinct taking over, flattened against his broom and rocketed to where Danielle had disappeared behind the crowd. Horror flooded his soul as he watched her freefall to the ground, the Bludger still fighting in her arms.

"Dani!" he barked, making his body as flat as possible. He was gaining on her and hopefully he would catch her before the ground did. What he wouldn't give for his wand! he thought, disheartened that he had left it in the changing room. The wind ripped tears from his eyes as he came closer and closer. Stretching his arm out as far as he could, wishing upon wish to grab some part of her robes or body in some way, he called her name again to which she responded by reaching her arm out. Briefly their fingertips touched but just for a second. Resolving his courage, he surged forward and grabbed her wrist, just before he pulled up to keep from slamming into the ground.

With far less polish, the two evened out and tumbled from the now much slower broom. Sirius wrapped his arms around Dani to protect her from more injury as they rolled along the ground for a few seconds. Finally, all movement stopped except for the Bludger, still squirming in her arms.

"Why didn't you let that go?" he asked, breathless and relieved.

She finally opened her arms and watched as the stupid ball flew back towards the Qudditch field. "Because," she began, taking deep, shuddery breaths, "if I had, it would have hit you."

Sirius chuckled and dropped his head back against the ground. Dani curled up next to his side, her head on his shoulder. "I guess thanks are in order?"

"I would hope so."

"Thank you, Sirius," she said, rolling away and climbing to her feet. She promptly tripped over a root and fell flat to the ground again. Turning over, she saw that Sirius had lifted his head to watch her.

"Well aren't you little Miss Gracie?"

She flushed and quipped, "If you're thinking that's cute, it's not."

"Oh," he said, dropping his head back to the earth, still breathing hard, "it's cute, and fitting, for you."

"Are you saying I'm cute?"

"But of course, love."

Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side again, wrapping his arms around her when she was safely tucked against him. "Why don't we just stay here for a bit? I think you're safer that way."

"Yes. I think that's true." Moments past; she lay trying to settle her breathing, staring out at the endless stars, listening to the echoes of the crowd above her. From the sounds of things, it seemed that one of the Seekers had finally caught the Snitch. At last she wondered aloud, "Who won?"

Sirius chuckled, brushing her hair from the side of her face and tucking it behind her ear. "Well, without you to keep sending Bludgers his way, I'm sure Prongs caught the Snitch."

Rolling onto her stomach she rested her chin on her hands on his chest and gave him a quizzical look. "I always hear you guys with those weird nicknames. What do they mean?"

Tucking his hands behind his head, he grinned at her sweet face with the best expression ever; a look of naivety yet very sexy. "Let's just say that there are certain people in my life that I share something so special with, that a nickname is the best way to constantly revel in that secret."

"An inside joke?"

"Yes," he began thinking about her comment, but more the way her mouth said it just so and how her eyes twinkled in the night. "Minus the joke part. I take my nicknames very seriously."

She giggled and shared a smile with him that made him weak in the knees.

"You're going to be bad for my reputation, you know?"

"What's that mean?"

"It means, I never thought I'd date a Ravenclaw."

She scoffed and slapped his stomach, "You're giving yourself an awful lot of credit Black. What makes you think that I'd date you?"

Chuckling, he turned his head to gaze out at the stars to his left, to where she had been staring. Pointing to one he said, "That one. There. That was the one you were staring at."

"So?"

"I think we both know which one that is," he offered, tucking his arm behind his head again.

Groaning softly, she dropped her face against his chest. "I've become one of those, haven't I?" she said, slightly muffled by his Quidditch robes.

"One of those?" he asked confused.

"Those girls that hang all over you."

He barked out a laugh and rubbed his shoulder. "Yes, it's safe to say you were hanging from me tonight. But I hardly think you're 'hanging all over me.' You've proven to be quite a challenge."

"And that means?"

"Well, I've known you for six years. Since that day you were sorted. I remember thinking, 'man o man. Wouldn't mind her being in Gryffindor.' But, sadly that ruddy thing placed you in Ravenclaw."

She lifted her gaze to his and huffed, "If I find out that that's one of your lame pick-up lines, it'll be your funeral Black."

"I guarantee that I'd never utter those words to another living soul, Gracie."

"Gracie?"

"My nickname for you. Maybe now you'll take me seriously. It's in honor of your little escapades tonight. And this. This is a memory I never want to forget. Our secret."

Her cheeks flushed immediately and she giggled nervously, not sure what to say. Her skin flamed even more when he tugged on a strand of her hair, offering a devilish half-grin. He was going to be bad for her. "I think we should get back. They're probably wondering where we are."

"Let them," he urged, not offering to budge at all.

She pushed against his chest and rocked back on her knees, "Siri--."

But just as quickly as she sat up, so had he, cupping his hand behind her neck and pulling her lips to his. It was an action he couldn't resist. Not with the way she pulled her mouth to one side in a grin, or how her eyebrows would arch just so right before she would laugh.

He was in trouble.

He pulled away from her and grinned. Her eyes were still closed; she looked as if she were in the middle of a perfect dream. And when she looked as if she were going to ask a question, or say something entirely too witty for her own good, he stopped her opportunity with another long kiss.

Placing a stopping hand on his chest, she pushed him away but only to arms length. He looked at her with a quizzical expression, wondering why she had halted their fun. She stood and walked over to her broom, ignoring Sirius and his slight protests. Turning her gaze over her shoulder, she arched an eyebrow and grinned, "You're going to be bad for _my_ reputation."

* * *

Dani groggily opened an eye and saw a blurry figure at the window. Light bathed them in a halo and she couldn't tell who it was or if it was even a person. 

"How long have I been out?"

"About an hour," he said.

She was surprised to hear Sirius' voice seeing as how he didn't want her there in the first place, but he was exactly who she wanted to be there.

"I see you haven't lost your elegant style," he said, a touch of sadness in his voice.

Elegant. What a plain horrible word. It rattled around in her heart like a sharp rock. Quietly she added, "I didn't score a goal this time, though. Maybe if I had…" he would have remembered. The memory hurt her heart all the more.

Sitting on the side of the bed, he offered her a glass of water. "Had what?" he asked, sounding as if he desperately wanted her to finish her thought.

"Never mind," she said. Danielle took a long drink of water before continuing, "So, when do we leave?"

--------------------

* * *

**Well? Please review! Help a lowly writer out! Thanks as always to becca.**


	5. Why I Hate Her

Disclaimer: still own nothing

* * *

Danielle walked determinedly across the hall to the sitting room in search of a book she had her last time at the manor. Mrs. Weasley had the children working considerably since then cleaning and she doubted it would still be where she remembered. Sifting through one of the untouched piles of books, she was disappointed to not find the tome. Moving to the other side of the room, she quickly scanned the shelves of books there, hoping to find the object of her quest. When that too resulted in nothing, she uttered a small curse under her breath but, unfortunately, the curse came out in Mermish and her simple oath soon filled the entire floor with ear-splitting shrieks. 

Sirius, who had stepped in the room moments earlier, clapped his hands over his ears. "Keep your blessed voice down, woman! If you wake up that banshee again, I'm putting you in charge of containing her. And believe me, she's hard to get settled behind those drapes. I still don't see why you had to get out of bed. Do you want to faint again? You're too stubborn for your own good!"

Blinking rapidly, Danielle was surprised at the almost babbling state Sirius was in. It was as if he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She waved off the thoughts, though, and shot back, "Yeah well, that's a trait common to the people of this house too."

"So you're calling me a stubborn hooligan. How nice of you."

Pausing briefly, she let his sarcasm soak into her soul. He found fault in everything she said. "Forget it," she muttered, returning to her search.

Sirius realized he had stepped too far and kicked himself, yet again. "Dani, I—."

"Magic-Elle!" Bill's voice bombed as he entered the room, slapping Sirius' shoulder as he passed. "Even in Mermish, I'd recognize your voice anywhere."

"Billy! It's been entirely too long! Come give your favorite babysitter a hug."

He complied easily and quickly scooped her in his arms. "What? No kiss?"

They laughed whole-heartedly at the memory, Dani's ears turning a cute shade of pink.

"Care to enlighten the rest of us," Charlie asked as he came in and flopped down on the lumpy sofa on the right side of the room.

Sirius was thanking his stars that Charlie had asked it and not him.

Bill turned to the other two men, his arm resting comfortably around Danielle's shoulders. "When I was a teenager--."

"Bill don't!"

"When I was a teenager and Mum and Dad were still asking Magic-Elle here to baby-sit you brats, I got it in my brain one night that the older--."

"_Much_ older."

"--gorgeous babysitter would be my first kiss. Poor Elle here never saw it coming."

Charlie guffawed for quite a few moments before asking, "What happened?"

Danielle giggled and stated, "I think I said something like maybe if you were older, and scruffier, and could apparate without splinching yourself, then we'd see. It was enough to make him laugh and we forgot about it. But it's been a great ongoing joke."

Sirius narrowed his eyes and licked his lips. "My, my. But then, he's not the only one, is he?" It was barely audible to his own ears.

* * *

March 20, 1977 

James eyed his friend suspiciously over his bowl of cereal. "You sent her a note?"

"Yeah," Sirius smiled, watching her across the room. She was sitting with a cluster of fellow sixth years who were laughing at something she had just said. Her hair pleated in two loose braids, she seemed content and as if she owned the world. Sirius continued, "By owl. I asked her to meet me in the astronomy tower at midnight."

"My, my. I venture not for homework," Remus supplied, closing his book and placing it beside his plate.

"It's her best subject. I'm using tutoring as a ploy to get her there."

"Not that she really needs that."

"No. But if the professors catch us up there, we'll have an excuse. Tomorrow is her birthday. What better way to start celebrating than with me? And I got her this," he said, pulling out a small box and showing its contents to his friends.

"That's nice, Sirius."

"Do you think she'll like it?"

"Love it," Remus corrected. He stopped his comments when a fourth year came running to them at full force.

"Sirius! James! Remus! Peter got into something in Greenhouse 7 that he shouldn't've. If he goes to the nurse, he'll get detention for sure! You've got to come!"

James sighed, "That boy's going to be the death of me yet."

Danielle watched as Sirius and the others dashed from the Great Hall, no doubt in search of the other Marauder that was always in trouble of some kind. The fluttering of feathers overhead announced the arrival of the post and Dani was all too eager to see if any early birthday presents would come to give the Marauders any more thoughts.

* * *

"Scourgify!" Sirius yelled again, determined to wipe out the last of the evidence that Peter had done anything wrong. It had taken the greater part of the morning, but the four had finally turned Greenhouse 7 back to its original state. 

"Let's not be trying that little experiment again, shall we?" James demanded, tucking his wand safely back in his robes. "I wouldn't want to report myself to the Head Boy."

"James, that's you."

"Oh right. That's an enjoyable fact, isn't it?"

Sirius smirked, "If we're done dealing with this, I've got a woman to woo."

"Yeah, well, if you woo her anymore, she's likely to find all your faults."

"Never," Sirius yelled over his shoulder as he ran from the greenhouse. He didn't know exactly where she'd be but she was definitely one thing he didn't mind searching for and, knowing her as he did, he easily narrowed the places to a handful, the lake being the first location.

A smile broke across his lips when he saw her form settled near the shore of the lake, a book thrown across her lap. As he neared, he watched as she raked her knuckles across her cheeks and then rubbed them on her robes, something he'd only ever seen her do when she was crying. It made his heart ache to think she was upset. He started to run faster.

As he got closer, he noticed a second figure that had been hidden behind a tree. It was none other than Snivellus. If he had made Danielle cry, Sirius was going to hang Snape up by the toes in the middle of the Great Hall.

But then Sirius' heart stopped faster than his feet could and he found himself tumbling to his knees.

Dani had kissed Snape. Had really and truly placed her lips on his.

Closing his eyes slowly and opening them again, he swallowed hard against the ache in his throat. Surely he was dreaming; what he saw really hadn't happened. But then, she embraced him, wrapping her arms around Snape's neck, looking as if she'd never let him go.

Sirius angrily ran his palms up and down his robes over his thighs trying to decide what to do. He almost bit through his lips trying to keep himself from cursing the reviled Slytherin. And if she thought he was going to give her the satisfaction of running to her demanding answers, she was sorely mistaken! It wasn't just any boy she was cheating on him with. It was Snivellus.

Obviously, she didn't feel for Sirius as he did for her. It was just a game to her.

No matter. He could have any woman he wanted. And he was going to prove that to be true.

* * *

Present 

"What was that Sirius?" Danielle asked, ducking out from under Bill's arm and going to the closed bureau by the windows. She found success with the second drawer, pulling out the large tome and tucking it in the crook of her arm.

"Er—wha--?" Sirius stumbled, surprised at how much she reminded him of her old school self.

"Didn't you say something?"

He shook his head innocently and offered a half grin. "I guess you found the book?"

Lifting it slightly in her arms, she responded, "Yes. I think it will have the answers I need."

She left the room in four quick strides, leaving the men to talk amongst themselves, not that Sirius was in any mood for talking. He noticed how she still smelled of green apples and sweet pea blossoms. Listening as she descended the steps, he hoped she didn't fall again.

"Sirius?"

Shaking his head clear of painful memories, Sirius looked at Charlie.

"You're a million miles away mate. Care to explain?"

"Ah, just remembering my Hogwarts days."

"Oh? I bet you have some pretty impressive stories to tell. Have any dying to be told?"

Sirius chuckled, "Maybe some other time. I better go see if Danielle's getting into any trouble."

* * *

Plunking down the basement steps, Sirius realized too late he was coming in on a heated argument between Danielle and Dumbledore. 

"…I really don't think it's a good idea!"

"Ah, but he is best qualified for the task."

"So? I don't want to go with him!"

"With who?" Sirius asked, not afraid to be nosy.

"I've asked Danielle to complete a task for me. And I was hoping that you would escort her."

"I—well, erm--."

"See?" she exclaimed, grateful as Bill and Charlie joined them. "Bill! Bill would be perfect for it."

Dumbledore tilted his head down, looking over his spectacles, giving the eldest Weasley a look that said he better not get involved.

"Sorry Elle, I've got a date tonight."

"With who?"

"Girl that just started at the bank Fleur Delacour."

Danielle groaned in frustration, throwing hers arms in the air. "Fine! I'll go with him. But let it be on your head if we kill each other before we get our job done!" She turned on her heel and stormed up the steps, letting each of them know her frustration.

Sirius felt the others' eyes on him. Turning to them, he quipped, "Well, this'll be a fun trip."

* * *

**As always thanks to my reviewers and my beta. And thanks to all that are reading and not posting. Maybe this chapter will inspire you to leave a review!**


	6. Why I Hate Him

Still own nothing but the plot. And Dani. Hopefully, this will answer some questions.

* * *

Dani eyed her surroundings suspiciously, afraid of what might be lurking in the shadows just out of her sight. Jumping slightly when a loud pop came from her right, she gave Sirius a sideways glance as if to ask what took him so long. 

"Wanted to make sure all of you arrived safely," he responded to her look. "In case I had to bring anything along with me."

"Your concern is deeply felt," she said dryly, starting to walk down the old, worn dirt road towards the rising moon. It was bright, slightly orange from its angle in the atmosphere, and almost full. "How's Remus been doing with, you know?"

Catching up to her side, Sirius shrugged, "Gets a little hairy once and a while but Snivellus keeps Wolfsbane Potion made up so it's fine." He chuckled slightly, "Although I don't think Buckbeak likes the company very much. He's touchy like that."

Nodding, she smiled slightly but quickly tripped over a rut in the road and turned her attention there, not wanting to catch a face full of dirt before the night was over.

"Do you remember when I told you? You know, about the four of us?"

"Of course," she replied quietly.

"I thought you'd either faint right out or think I was a nutter."

"Well I thought it might have been the latter until you had the gumption to transform right there on the spot. I would have thought I was dreaming too but you knocked me over with your big paws and licked my face relentlessly—," she stopped short, her cheeks burning ferociously.

"Oh yeah," he blushed as well, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. "Forgot about that."

They continued walking in nervous silence, not completely uncomfortable but loaded with enough intense memories to keep Danielle's cheeks sufficiently flushed. The moon rose higher in the sky, paling as it did, finally turning a ghostly white before either spoke again.

"Dani? Where are we going?"

"A little place up the way. I wasn't certain of its exact location, that's why we had to apparate so far away."

"What's at this 'little place'?"

"Hopefully some answers," she responded, catching the side of her foot in a rut and plunging towards the ground.

Quickly, Sirius wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her to him, keeping her from falling. Her hair, he noticed, which was adequately tickling his nose, still smelled like peaches and was as soft as one too. He was amazed at how easily she still fit in his arms. Her hands were like fire resting on his forearms, which he noticed she was in no hurry to move. He murmured, "As light as always on your feet, I see."

"Guess so," she said, Sirius detecting a smile in her voice. "Thank you and everything, but you can let go now. You're arms are rubbing against my scales and it's worse than a rug burn."

Loosening his grip, amused greatly by her comment, he let her slip from his arms and they continued walking again. "Oh right. From the cross-breeding Polyjuice Potion. How did you ever find a Siren to get a bit of?"

"Well she's a half-breed. Half Selkie, half Siren. Her mother was a Siren that left the clan when she was young. Met a Selkie and fell in love. Dumbledore met them not long after that and asked the Selkies at Hogwarts to let them in the clan and a few years later, their daughter was born."

"So when you went to the Sirens, what did you tell them?"

"That I refused the ways of the Selkies and wished to return to my mother's roots. I thought they were going to kill me at any moment. But then the Chieftain's son, Mariasimur, took pity on me and it was fine after that."

"Took a liking to you is probably more accurate," he mumbled under his breath.

"Shh shh," she whispered. "We're here."

* * *

Standing on her tiptoes, Danielle peered over the hedges to the house that had been the object of their search and was now the thing of their boredom. Sirius, who had grown tired of waiting, was sitting on a nearby stump, charming the lightning bugs to perform synchronized dances, the last grouping looking vaguely like a large dog. Danielle wished that whoever was in the bottom left room would go to sleep or ideally leave before she had to watch another trick from Sirius' performing bugs. 

Growing impatient, Dani toed off her shoes and began to pace the fifteen feet in front of Sirius. She had to step over his legs a few times for him to get the hint that he needed to pull them in. It helped her focus, made her less anxious, and kept her mind away from bad memories.

"Stop your incessant pacing woman. You're making me nervous."

"Can't. If I do, my thoughts will get the better of me."

"That sounds intriguing. Care to elaborate?"

She completed a few more laps before replying, "To not happy times. I think we both have those in our past."

He nodded absentmindedly, turning his attention to the necklace she was playing with. "That's nice."

"Thank you. It was a gift from the chieftain's son for my birthday."

"Oh? Getting jewelry for your birthday? That's serious. I take it, it was a happy one then?"

"Yeah." She stopped and rested her right foot on top of her left. "To make up for past ones that weren't so happy."

* * *

March 20, 1977 

Dani watched as the three friends ran out of the Great Hall, no doubt in search of the fourth Marauder who was always in trouble of some sort. She'd have to ask Sirius later as to why they were always bailing him out. Titling her head to the upper most windows, she smiled as owls fluttered in, bringing with them parcels and post.

Three owls landed before her, carrying with them letters from home and friends and a package from her Grams in Italy. She quickly opened the one from her Mum and smiled as she scanned the birthday greetings. But her thoughts fell short as she heard the excited shrieks of a girl down the row, huddled with other girls from her year.

"I can't believe he sent me a letter! I mean, I always knew he liked me; he always smiles at me in the hallways, but I thought he was dating someone."

"Yeah," one of the giddy girl's friends supplied. "Dani, I thought. Maybe you should ask her Daphne? Wouldn't that be good?"

"Why? He obviously sent me this note! Imagine! Me and Sirius Black!"

Danielle felt as if she were going to be sick to her stomach. More than felt, knew. She hurried from the Great Hall, her bag flung over her shoulder, and she dashed down to the lake as fast as she could. Maybe there she could collect her thoughts away from the prying eyes of others.

What had just happened? Had she lost her mind? Maybe it was all some horrible nightmare that she wasn't waking up from. But there was that piercing ache at the bottom of her heart that told her she was deathly awake.

"If you insist on intruding on my private time, you could at least have the decency to breathe quietly," came a cold chastisement from her left. She turned to Snape and almost burst out in tears. "Whatever is the matter? For I know you won't leave without my asking. Let's speed things along then, shall we?"

"Why on earth would you care why I'm upset?"

"Despite what those around you might say, I'm not completely inhuman, I suppose."

She almost laughed. "Those around me? They're such excellent characters themselves."

"Yes. Well, I could have told you you were wasting your time with him."

She stepped closer to him and kneeled beside him. "And why would you have?"

He turned his eyes back to his book and wrote a few notes in the margin. "No one should be plagued by such a subhuman as Black. Especially one with your level of intelligence."

"A compliment? Never knew you had it in you. Why are you being so nice?"

"Like I said, I was hoping you'd leave me alone. So are we finished?"

"That's the Snape I know." She pulled out her Charms book and randomly opened it.

"You're not leaving."

"How astute. Look, we obviously don't mind being in each other's company and I've decided I don't want to be alone so just deal with it."

"He's done something hasn't he? Why should you be any different? Just another mark on his list. I promise, one day I'll seek my reven--."

"Snape, just drop it. You can't whip up a potion out here but I sure as Merlin can charm you into a mate for the Giant Squid and I don't mean a chum kind of mate either."

She let it rest at that and turned her eyes to her book, her attention a million miles away. She was hurt. Too hurt to go to Sirius to ask him about the note. How long had he been seeing girls behind her back? And what would it be like to confront him and have him just shrug off their relationship as just another of his many conquests?

It hurt. Tears filled her eyes and escaped, running down her cheeks and dropping onto her robes. She wiped at them with her knuckles and sighed; she hated when people made her cry.

Unexpectedly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "Snape? Can I ask a favor?"

"I suppose."

"Don't hex me," she murmured as she leaned over and placed her lips on his. It wasn't entirely horrible, but the tears didn't stop staining her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace. Whispering softly, she explained, "You want revenge on Sirius, I'm your girl."

* * *

"Danielle?" 

Her eyes focused on his but she still didn't seem all there.

"What are you thinking about?"

She shook off his question and peered over the hedges again, hoping that the house had changed in some degree. Sadly, it hadn't. The faint glow of something in the bottom left room still illuminated the moving figure inside.

Frustrated, Danielle collapsed cross legged onto the cold ground and pulled her book from her satchel, thumbing to a specific page. The bright moon overhead was more than enough light for her to read by and she scanned the pages as if in her favorite chair at home.

"Why are you carrying that book around?"

"Research."

"What could you possible need to research?

"The Sirens."

"But you just spent several months with them."

"True, but I'm trying to process everything they told me."

"And what was that? You still haven't told me what answers we're looking for."

She looked up from her book and involuntarily shuddered, "We're looking for You-Know-Who."

* * *

Thank you for reading :) 


	7. How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?

Disclaimer: still, I own nothing.

* * *

"You-Know-Who," Sirius repeated. "You know where to find You-Know-Who?"

Shaking her head, she turned the page, "Nope."

Sirius blinked rapidly. "Danielle, I feel like you carry on conversations with me thinking I know what's going on inside your head, but I don't. Care to fill me in?"

"You used to," she replied quietly, the words hanging heavy in the air. She looked him in the eye and gave him a thoughtful look. "But that was too long ago I guess. What I meant was that we're looking for information about You-Know-Who and something, or rather some things, called horcruxes."

"Horcruxes. I didn't realize that's what Dumbledore had thought You-Know-Who had done. How many is Dumbledore thinking?"

"You know what they are? I didn't find out until after my graduation. That was a sad day. But that's when Dumbledore pulled me aside. Asked me to be in the Order."

"How many, Danielle?"

"Bill and Charlie count six deaths. Plus the wretched part still in his body. Dumbledore says that Harry already destroyed one; that diary during Harry's second year. That means--."

"Five more," Sirius finished. He stood and assumed Dani's role of pacing, revolving around his previous seat and Danielle. "And what exactly did your going to the Sirens have anything to do with horcruxes?"

"This story is wrong. It says that Sirens are half-bird half-human," she said absentmindedly.

Sirius stopped pacing and knelt beside her, "Woman, I need you to focus. Tell me what's going on!" He waited for her response but all she did was look him in the eye and sigh. "There's something more isn't there? What aren't you telling me?"

"So you still can figure me out pretty well." Closing her book, she pulled her mouth to one side and sighed again. "Sirius, I've only got a short time."

"Alright, then hurry and tell me or just give me the bare facts if you must."

Shaking her head, she began to explain but stopped short, "No, I--the light's out! We better go!"

Vaulting to her feet, she tossed the book back into her bag and slipped through the bushes before Sirius could react. "Confounded woman! What I wouldn't give for a moment's clarity from you!" As he pushed off from the ground his hand slipped on a piece of paper that must have fallen from Dani's bag. Stuffing it into his pocket, he climbed to his feet and quickly darted through the bushes after her. She was only a few dozen feet ahead of him and silhouetted perfectly by the vibrant moonlight shining off the lake behind the house. Sprinting after her, he only had one thing on his mind.

Grabbing her by the elbow when he caught up with her, he forced her to turn and face him. "Answers. Now."

"Ok, ok. The ancient Greeks used sculptures called caryatides and atlantes—larger than life human statues—in their architecture. Some believed that these sculptures, as well as other idol statues, housed souls that yearned to break free one day."

"Like a horcrux."

"Yes, minus the required killing, though. I went to the Sirens because there are loads of forgotten sculptures at the bottom of the sea and Dumbledore felt that they held the key to helping us find the horcruxes. The Sirens told me that the caryatides, like horcruxes, have a special energy that can be read if one knows how it is unique to that object. To that soul. All of that led us here."

"Why? How? You said we are looking for information. Do you think that You-Know-Who just left a list lying around with what all of his horcruxes are and where we can find them?"

"Of course not. But if we don't get in there before whomever that was returns, we'll never know, will we!" She wrenched her arm away from him and dashed the rest of the way to the house, slipping through the front door and out of Sirius' sight once more.

* * *

Sirius stood in the front hall of the house, keeping guard as Danielle had instructed him from the second floor. She had already searched the house and no one else, wizard or otherwise, was in the dark dwelling. Random noises filtered down from the rooms upstairs as Sirius surmised that s that she rummaged through drawers and cabinets.

Leaning against the front door, he watched her scurry from one side of the balcony to the other in search of what he didn't know. "Can I help?"

"Just keep an eye out," she snapped in a loud hiss.

"Ok," he called back. "What is this place?"

"Consider it the Death Eaters' Grimmauld Place. Snape told us about it," she responded using the same strained whisper.

"Gotcha. Why are you talking like that?" he asked, mocking her stage whisper.

"Sirius!"

"Fine, fine," he mumbled, thrusting his hands into his pockets. His right hand curled around the paper he had found early and, curiosity getting the better of him, he pulled it from its hiding place and thumbed it open. At a quick glance, he saw that it was a note from Dumbledore to Danielle and he couldn't resist perusing it.

"Dear Danielle, this reply is in regards to your many, many letters. I hope that it answers all your questions and I bid you _please_, use discretion with the owls; you mustn't let your location be known. Yes, you are correct on both accounts. Sirius did vanish, he went through the veil, and now he has returned without any explanation.

"But you mustn't come and see him as you wish. Your job right now is to gather the information that we so desperately need, only then can you come and ask him all the questions your heart so desires.

"Let me finish with this: there is a saying that time heals most wounds and I believe that timing and fate are everything sometimes. Mistakes are made, people change, and some things are so inevitable that all we can do is sit and await their arrival. Regretfully, we must be willing to sacrifice whatever it takes. You, I'm sure, understand this better than any of us, unfortunately. When the time comes for what is to happen, I hope that you will realize the course that you are to take. But know this as well; I have seen love do many miraculous things in my lifetime and believe me, that is quite some time. Trust your instincts and your heart."

Sirius scanned the letter again. Was it really saying what he thought it was? And what sacrifice did she have to make?

Dani darted down the stairs, grabbing the newel post to swing her momentum into the room that they had seen the figure in earlier that night. Before she could, however, Sirius wrapped an arm around her stomach and pulled her to his side.

"Danielle, what's this about?"

She looked at the note in his hand for a brief moment before snatching it from him and stuffing it into her satchel. She almost didn't have the heart to tell him, but she couldn't keep the words from spilling out of her mouth. "That's why Dumbledore pulled me aside at graduation. Apparently, there was a prophesy made during my seventh year that said I was to complete a grave operation for the Order and once that mission was completed, Dani Aquila Afton would be no more. Dumbledore and I have decided that this is the mission. Once we get this information, that's it for me."

He shook his head defiantly and roared, "You think I'm going to let that happen! You don't know me very well!"

"Shh shh shh, Sirius," she chided. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"There must be something! Why else would Dumbledore want me to help you?"

Her forehead crumpled in thought as she pondered what he'd asked. "I don't know. Maybe he thought I'd want to be with you in my last few hours."

"Well you fought tooth and nail to keep that from happening."

"Ah, Sirius. I was just--," she stopped, something catching in her throat. Wiggling free of his arms, she continued to the room, painfully aware that Sirius was close on her heels, wanting answers.

She discovered the room to be a study and not much of one at that. A desk, a couch, a Muggle photo of a family, possibly the unfortunate past owners of the house, and a few shelves of books were the only items to tip off anyone to its purpose plus a set of doors leading to another room. The Death Eaters' haunt looked derelict in comparison to its Order counterpart.

She bit her bottom lip as she rummaged through the lone desk in the room, feeling his eyes on her, waiting. "Did you know that some thought a caryatid represented what would happen to someone if they fraternized with the enemy? Submission, humiliation, punishment, death. It's funny."

"How's that?" He was humoring her; she knew it for his voice was completely void of emotion. He sat down on the arm of the couch.

"Horcruxes are the same but only intensified; they bring pain, hate, death. It's funny how modern wizards can take something innocent and turn it into something so vile."

"After everything we've seen, can you really believe there was ever innocence in the world? The evils that they've seen? Think of poor Harry. And Ginny. She was possessed by the Dark Lord. These kids, we, will never be able to escape this."

Danielle stopped as still as the night, absorbing his words, staring him in the eyes. His form was blurred slightly by the tears flooding her eyes. "Sirius, I have to believe that there's something worth dying for."

"But there are greater things worth living for."

Turning from him, her cheeks growing hot, she ran her fingers along a shelf over the fireplace. "A girl can't live on hope alone, Sirius." She then ran her finger across the picture of the family and felt a jolt go through her arm to her heart.

She felt as if she were in a dream, standing with the people that had been in the picture. The tingling sensation of magic coursed through her, but the picture hadn't been a portkey: it must have been some other form of supernatural power that she was feeling the effects of. Danielle walked up to the female, a lifeless girl whose poor eyes pointed in opposite directions.

"He got it back. He got it back," she said over and over again, groping the ragged material around her neck as if trying to feel or find something there.

"What? What did who get back?"

The girl simply restated the four words repetitively.

Danielle moved on to the older man, his controlling hand resting on the young woman's shoulder, his wrinkly face emotionless. "He took it. He took it."

"Hullo? Can you hear me?" She waved her hands in front of their faces, receiving no response of any kind and suddenly had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Spinning around on her heels, she felt a desperate need to find her way out of wherever she was.

The room was small, rundown, bare and warped. She wasn't in a normal reality. She saw a wobbly table, empty except for a few items: a book, a cup, and other small objects. When a heavy hand dropped onto her shoulder, she let out the fiercest, most piercing scream that would rival any Siren's call.

She twisted and turned but the hand clamped down on her shoulder and pulled her into viselike arms, refusing to let her go. Thrashing about, she tried to grab her wand or find some way to escape but both eluded her.

Someone was speaking in her ear. The muffled words tugged at her memories but her mind fought it, fought her attacker. But a thought was forcing its way through her mind: her attacker wasn't attacking her. The viselike grip that she thought would strangle the life out of her was embracing her, comforting her.

She started focusing on the voice, trying to hear what it was saying but moments of panic would grip her, forcing her to lash out again.

"Danielle!" She heard the voice as if it was coming from the bottom of a well. "Danielle! Wake up! They're coming! They're going to catch us!"

Her head spinning, she dragged her eyelids open and tried to remember where she was. The first thing she heard was a young female's voice; the one from her vision that had been groping at her neck. The girl was screaming, "They're here! They're here! Hurry!"

Her captor spun her around in his arms and she vacantly stared into his steel-gray eyes. "Dani, come back to me!"

Blinking several times, she seemed to finally focus on Sirius and grasp what was going on. She turned to the photograph that had caused so much trouble and saw that what she thought was a normal, Muggle photograph had changed greatly and the girl was now alone, pointing accusatorily at her and Sirius. The old man was missing, possible alerting the Death Eaters to their location.

"Shut up you minger!" Danielle shouted, pushing away from Sirius. She went to the picture, a rather well done portrait that allowed its occupants to interact with real people, and studied the female.

Danielle's eyes fell on the gold locket around the gangly girl's neck. "You're Merope Gaunt, aren't you? Where's your father?"

The portrait merely continued yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Dani! We've got to go!"

She turned towards Sirius as if remembering what was going on around her.

"I've got to get you out of here!"

She looked back at the portrait, hearing the heavy huffs of a man, the one that was in her vision. He must have been running back meaning that real reinforcements would be there shortly. "Relax," she breathed, pulling out her wand, "we'll simply apparate out."

"Love, I tried while you were thrashing about in my arms. There are anti-apparating charms locking us in. We've got to run!"

"Just wait!" She pointed her wand at the portrait. "Reveal yourself or you're going up in flames!"

The old man huffed into the portrait, looking disgusted. He thumped his hand against his chest as if trying to restart his heart.

"A ring!" Dani shouted triumphantly. "Another horcrux!"

"Avada--!"

Green light burned the air around her. She had just enough time to freeze before she had the wind knocked out of her as Sirius clothes-lined her to the ground and slid her behind the couch, rolling underneath her to absorb most of the shock of hitting the ground. She sucked in short coughs, trying to catch her breath as she rested her head against Sirius' chest. "My bell….has officially…been…rung. And I know…that…voice."

She glimpsed over the couch at the ghost of the woman she'd almost lost her life to. Twice.

"I should have killed you when you came out of the sea, witch!"

"Really gotta work on your insults, Narcissa! Use our last encounter as a clue to this one!" Locking her eyes with Sirius' she transmitted her commands to run for it as soon as the option presented itself. He nodded.

"Narcissa, trying to live up to the standard of your husband? What would that brat of yours think if you ended up dead?" Vaulting to her feet, Danielle mounted the couch and aimed her wand at the faltering Malfoy. "_Expelliarmus!"_

The light tinkling of wood hitting wood filled the air and Sirius took his chance. Wrapping his arm around Danielle's middle, he yanked her from the couch and carried her through the swinging doors into the connected room: a kitchen. He made sure her feet were firmly planted before grasping her hand tightly and pulling her through the back door.

On the ridge near the lake, figures began to apparate from anywhere and everywhere, apparently the closest anyone could get to the actual manor by magic.

"Ah, bloody hell!" Sirius yelled, running a hand through his long hair in frustration. "What do we do now!"

Danielle scanned the vicinity, looking for any escape possible. And then it came to her. "Sirius, how long can you hold your breath?"

* * *

Please read and review! Reviews are like oxygen and I can't live without oxygen!


	8. Don't Do This

Disclaimers: same apply for all chapters. I don't own anything.

* * *

"What do you mean?" He asked yanking on her arm, bringing her tight to his side as a vicious curse fizzled on the ground where her feet once had been.

"It's the only way out of here," she cried, pulling away from his side and running towards the lake. Sirius held tight to her hand, though, afraid she might do something stupid to try to make the prophesy come true. He was not going to let that happen.

Reaching the water's edge, she gave him a reassuring look and squeezed his hand for good measure. When he squeezed back, her courage was mustered and she felt that she could do anything. Her all-powerful high was squashed however as she was forced to jump backwards as a green spell sizzled at her feet. There were still some things that even her adrenaline, or holding his hand, couldn't save her from. And then the letter from Dumbledore burned her memory and she ached with knowing what awaited her by the end of the mission. A lump filled her throat and her heart sank to her toes. She had to tell him. "Sirius, I've got to tell—."

Jerking her to his side again, he ducked as a shower of red sparks filled the air to his right. They were running out of options and the Death Eaters were getting closer. He had to get Danielle out of there. "Tell me later, love! Right now, I'm trying to keep you safe!"

And with that, he plunged into the freezing water, pulling Dani in beside him.

Under the surface of the water, their roles reversed and Danielle took control, kicking as hard and fast as she could to the bottom of the lake. The rainbow of curses and charms breaking up in the water overhead cast eerie colors on the foreign landscape around them, making the unknown all the more peculiar. Still, she kicked as hard as she could, slowed, though only slightly, by Sirius and the satchel still flung across her shoulder. The English lake was large and deep, and looked nothing like the Mediterranean Sea that she had called home for so many months. Additionally, the more northern lake wasn't nearly as warm as the tropical waters of the sea and she had to bite her lip against the iciness. With some effort she pulled herself and Sirius through the forest of lake grasses and weeds, reaching the bed of the lake a short time later.

Once there, she took her first chance to turn and see if any of the Death Eaters were following them. Thankfully, the waters were clear of human forms but a few random sea creatures had poked out of their hovels to see what the chaos was about.

"Sirius," Danielle said in Mermish, "look."

But when she turned to her partner, she saw pure panic in his eyes. Ripping his hand from hers, he clawed at the water around him, trying to gain any upward momentum he could. His air had run out long ago; he was suffocating and could do nothing about it.

Grabbing his belt, Danielle pulled Sirius to her and did the first thing that she could think to do: she breathed for him. His eyes widened as panic faded into realization and trust while his lungs filled with life sustaining air. Pulling away from him she smiled, saying in Mermish, "Let's stay away from the surface, shall we?"

He responded by grabbing her by the shoulders and crushing her mouth with his. Somehow, Danielle didn't think he was demanding air. But she breathed for him again, letting it last perhaps longer than it needed to, pulling away only when her mind told her they needed to keep moving.

Reluctantly, she put a hand on his chest and pushed him away, grabbing her wand and pointing it at his head. "I'm sorry, Sirius," she offered, knowing he couldn't respond, "but you'll only slow me down."

Confusion clouded his eyes and he recoiled from Danielle, unsure of what she was going to do. With a complicated swish of her wand, he watch, or rather felt, as a bubble formed around his head, presenting him with a constant, fresh supply of air.

Grinning wickedly, she said, "I still have gills from the human to non-human Polyjuice Potion, I guess. I didn't even think about it. This will make things easier." She grabbed his hand and kicked as hard as she could to propel them away from the house and any Death Eaters that figured out how to follow them. Her teeth were chattering at this point, cold from nerves and the water temperature, but she couldn't let that get to her.

Not knowing how long it had been, but realizing he was frozen to the core, Sirius squeezed her hand to get Danielle's attention. Dani turned to him, her skin strangely white, her lips tinted ever so slightly blue. Pulling her through the water to him, he wrapped his arms around her and, feeling her body shivering against his, rubbed her back through her robes. He had to get her out of the frigid water he decided and, with a sputtering of bubbles, he apparated them out of the lake to a forest floor he was greatly familiar with and popped his Bubble-Head Charm.

He rolled onto his back, only able to go so far for she was laying on his arm still. Being in the open once more, he didn't realize how claustrophobic the water had made him and he gulped air greedily trying to shake the memory. Danielle was still quivering next to him; her back shaking against his trapped arm and a real fear gripped him that the cold had been too much for her. He decided, to keep her with him, he would keep her talking. "I've come close to dying by a lake too many times in my life," he said breathlessly, "Thank you for saving me."

"No problem," she replied quietly as if on the verge of falling asleep. "Likewise."

He turned back to her and watched her breathing slowly, her eyes open and scanning the night sky. It seemed to have been nothing to her, being in the freezing cold water for so long. But he could feel her shivering, had seen her teeth chattering when he wrapped his arms around her, the fear that lingered behind her eyes, even if she could breathe in the water. He wanted to forget what they had just been through. Wanted to make the moment as light as possible. He pushed matted hair away from her face and she closed her eyes to his warm touch, turning her head slightly against the palm of his hand. Grinning, he said simply, "Blue ribbons."

"What?" Opening her eyes, she found Sirius lingering over her, long, dark brown clumps of hair tickling her nose and cheek.

"You wore them in your hair on graduation day. The ones I gave you. Don't deny it," he commanded softly offering her a mischievous half-grin.

"You were there."

"With bells on. But somehow, I don't think that was a question."

Smiling, she closed her eyes again and sighed, "I just thought it was the excitement of the day. But there was that extra special feeling. The one where the hairs on the back of my neck would stand on end and my heart would race. I didn't want to give myself false hope, though. The way things happened. The way we parted. I couldn't convince my thoughts that my heart was telling me something important."

Licking his lips, he ran his free hand through his wet hair, pulling it away from her face and out of his. She wrinkled her nose as drips of cold water kissed her cheeks and eyelids but was content to stay that way forever if she could. Opening her eyes, she found Sirius was watching her, studying her.

Clearing his throat, he brushed the back of his hand across her now rosy skin and began quietly, "I've had a lot of time to fill in my days with thoughts, good or bad, and you know what I mostly thought about? Those five wonderful months that we spent together as a couple. Our first kiss. Our second and third and fourth. Our last kiss."

"So you only thought about us kissing?"

He laughed, "Well, Merlin knows we did enough of it to sustain any man's memories. But there were other things I thought about. It didn't take long for me to have every detail emblazoned on my brain. The Guards, they couldn't enjoy my happiness much after that. My memories became fact, like the fact that I was innocent. They couldn't take that away from me." He shuttered at the memory of the Dementors, something that Danielle couldn't ever understand but was willing to listen to him whenever he needed; she ran a finger down his cheek to tell him it was okay to stop if he needed to. But he continued, "And then I would start to think what it would have been like; if you had answered that owl, if you hadn't been seeing Snape behind my back, how our lives would have changed. But there's no sense in that now. What's in the past is in the past."

"I never got an owl," she stated quietly.

"What?" He pulled away and sat up, slipping his arm out from under her a little more harshly than he would have liked but still, he had to for fear that his anger may overtook him. "Sure you did. It was years ago. You probably don't even remember."

Rubbing her face as if waking up from a fifteen year slumber, she responded, "No, Sirius. I never received an owl from you. I would have remembered."

"I sent it. I solemnly swear." He paused and chortled a bit. "But, I addressed it 'Gracie.'"

"Gracie," she whispered the name, savoring the memory. Sitting up she pulled out the book that she had been reading earlier and opened the front cover. "Sirius, I never got a note. I kept all--," her breath caught in her throat and her face fell, "oh! I'm such an idiot! She started boasting about how you had sent her a love letter! I should have known! Why didn't I remember! Oh, Sirius, if I had only known! We could have—you might not have—."

Resting his hands on her shoulders he requested, "Dani, you're going to have to catch me up. What are you talking about?"

"Grace. Daphne. Everard." The words hit like stones being dropped in the pit of her stomach.

"I have no idea who that is."

"She was a fifth year Ravenclaw when you were a seventh year. She went by Daphne but all her mail was addressed to 'Grace.' The owl must have gotten confused."

"Bloody hell." He breathed slowly out through his nose, shaking his head slightly. "Helluva mistake for it to make."

Flipping absentmindedly through the pages of the tome, a difficult task since most of the sheets were clinging to one another she, quietly, murmured, "A mistake that broke my heart into a million pieces."

Scoffing, he stood and leaned against a nearby tree. He didn't trust her, not with what she had done to him. Voicing his thoughts, he replied, "Well you recovered quickly. I saw you with Snape that afternoon."

"Revenge only; he wanted to embarrass you and I wanted to hurt you as much as you hurt me—as much as I thought you hurt me; we made a pact..." trailing off, she bit her lip and let her tears fall.

He knelt beside her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "Hey hey hey, don't cry love."

Forcefully pushing his arms away, she climbed to her feet and angrily wiped the tears from her cheeks, turning her back to him. Rising, he walked over to her and debated about touching her shoulder. Instead, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "If you were only acting like you hated me, I'm sure you really despised me in the months to come. All those girls."

Shaking her head, she swallowed against the ache in her throat caused by unshed tears. "I only hated myself. And that I loved someone that only counted me as another notch on his bedpost."

Grabbing her shoulders, he spun her around. "Dani, no. I've never thought of you like that nor did I ever want anyone else to either. I love you."

She pursed her lips and then opened her mouth. Quickly she closed it but then tried again. Feeling like a fish, she couldn't help but feel self-conscious as he began grinning at her and she decided to turn the attention back to him. "You say that like you still mean it."

"Gracie, you were the first person I ever loved, you have to know that." He stopped and shifted his weight from foot to foot. He wasn't used to sharing so much and he felt like he needed to offer an explanation. "Because you were you and because of how you treated me and--."

"I didn't do anything," she interrupted. Tucking a clump of hair behind her ear, she exhaled slowly to calm her heart and said softly, "All I have ever done is love you for you."

"That's all I needed. Someone who didn't judge me as a slacker or playboy or anything else. Someone who liked me, tail and all."

She chuckled and wiped at her cheeks with her knuckles.

He continued, "You kept Moony's secret. Mine and James'. That was a lot. We almost had to make you an honorary Marauder you and I were so inseparable. Your mere memory got me through some of the most horrendous nightmares in the world. Of course I still love you. I always have and always will."

Clearing her throat, she said rather lamely, "Well, I'm glad that I did what I did then."

"What's that? Become one of those girls that hung all over me?"

She shoved him playfully and let her hand linger on his chest where his school crest once was and now a darker shade of gray stood out. Danielle had noticed that he preferred his modified school robes to the new ones Lupin had found for him at Madam Malkin's but she never bothered to ask him why. But she knew she could probably guess if given the chance; she would deduce that he would cling to a time that he was happy, that he had friends, that he was loved.

Catching some of the material between her forefinger and thumb, she, feeling insecure, watched as the material rolled back and forth between her fingers. "Love me, hunh? Like Harry or Lupin or Tonks?"

His laughter came out in loud barks.

"Are you laughing at me Black?"

He placed a knuckle under her chin and tilted her face so he could look squarely in her eyes. The same sparkle was still there, her eyebrow still arched with the promise of laughter. "I wasn't thinking about any of them for the past seventeen years. What do you think?"

"I think we've got a lot to make up for," she offered but then her sweet comment of love was replaced by a devilish grin. "I think we should go. They're probably expecting us."

"Let them," he urged, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She pushed against his chest playfully and whispered before he could stop her, "I love y—." But just as before, 17 years earlier, she couldn't finish her thought for he already had his lips crushing hers.

It was an action he still couldn't resist.

She pushed away from him and giggled, "That brings back fond memories. I still think you kept me out of the game so James could catch that bloody Snitch and Gryffindor could win the game." Extracting her wand, she performed a quick hot air charm, drying them completely from head to toe.

Sirius protested slightly with a noise in his throat.

"I promise, we'll snuggle later."

"Back to understanding me better than yourself, I see." Her laughter filled the night air but there was something more to it, hidden under the amusement. There was something she was keeping from him that he wasn't going to like. He had to keep her mind on him. On their future. If not, he knew he would lose her to whatever she was thinking about and, sadly, he knew who that was. His ears perked as a wolf cried in the distance. "Ah. One of my old friends. I spent a lot of time here after I escaped from Azkaban. That place was horrible. It's good that my future looks promising."

"Tell them Sirius. Tell them I fought hard."

She was leaving him. He knew it. That's what she was hiding from him. It would have amazed him how well he knew her once again if he wasn't frightened stiff that he would never see her again. "Tell them yourself."

"Part of the reason you love me is that I'm stubborn."

"No. I love you in spite of that."

"Come on. You know me. I can't rest with a score to settle."

"Don't do this to me."

They stood staring at each other, communicating what words couldn't say.

She walked over to him and leaned against him, her arms tucked between them once he wrapped his arms around her. "Keep breakfast warm for me." She placed a kiss on his lips before apparating from his arms.

He sighed and went to pick up the book she had been carrying with her. His mind was completely filled with Danielle now, much like during his time in Azkaban. "If you don't come back to me, I'm never going to forgive you."


	9. The End of Dani Afton

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

* * *

Papers flew across the room as if they had been bewitched with minds of their own. Next, quills joined the throngs followed by books and parchments. The once orderly room had been ransacked in seconds, the floor completely hidden by debris, shelves totally void of their once complacent occupants.

A thoughtful wizard snatched one of the wayward leafs and stepped into the pillaged room. "I don't think Molly would approve of your cleaning style, old friend."

"I'm sick of this place," Sirius replied to the werewolf. "Of being trapped. Of not being able to walk down Diagon Alley and purchase what I want."

"You know I'll be happy to get you whatever you need."

"It's not the same."

"I have a feeling this has to do with a certain Order member. Danielle hasn't returned yet I gather?"

Slamming a desk drawer closed, scooting the desk back several inches, he replied flustered, "Why didn't I stop her?"

"She's stubborn, just like you. I always thought you two were perfect for each other. Why you didn't stay together is beyond me."

"It was a misunderstanding." Sirius said, punching his fists against the desk. He turned to his longtime friend and grinned a doggish grin. "But we're together now."

"Congrats, mate. Don't let her get away this time."

"There's something more though. There's a prophesy. I thought, maybe, I could change it. She's going to die, Moony."

"You're certain?"

Sirius crumpled against the desk and rubbed his face with his hands. "It's like she wanted to die. She didn't do anything to stop it. Didn't care."

"Oh, I highly doubt that," Lupin responded.

"She's so selfish!"

"You know that's not true. Danielle has always been one to put others first. How often did she defend others? You? Me? Snape? She always put us before herself."

"Yeah, well, not this time. If she's dies--."

"Padfoot, have faith my friend. She's not going to die. I don't think she'd want to suffer your wrath." Lupin smiled and cupped Sirius on the shoulder. "Did you find anything in this place to give her?"

Sirius chuckled. "Of course not. All I found was a tarnished locket. And that was gaudy."

"Well then, you'd better be figuring out what you want me to get for her. But later, Padfoot. Dumbledore is here and wants to know what you found."

* * *

The old mansion sat by itself on a large piece of land in practically the middle of nowhere. It was perfect; no muggles or mudbloods in sight and large enough to intimidate any noble wizard that visited. It was just the kind of dwelling a pretentious pureblood family would own and the kind of place that gave any respectable witch chills down her spine. 

Inside, the manor was just as commanding, filled with extravagant heirlooms and hideous family portraits which housed snobby people slumbering in their frames. A particularly nasty one held a place of honor near the base of the massive staircase; the occupant a mirror image of the banshee that caused so much trouble at Grimmauld Place.

The front door opened with a slight click and a restrained tsking sound from the lone intruder. She decided that a short note to the owner was due for the lack of protection placed on the house. Their mistake was her gain though.

Slowly, she walked down the main hallway running her finger along the mahogany chair rail and taking in her surroundings in a cynical manner. She despised the place and especially the people that owned it. In her mind, their pale vacant faces and gleaming white hair fueled her anger and she couldn't wait to pay some much needed revenge. They deserved it too.

Ending in a large study, the hallway was a mere prelude to the lavishness of the manor. Thick tomes, most dealing with the darker magics, lined endless shelves in the room, proving the wealth of the owner. The occupants of the house, still soundly asleep in their beds upstairs, used the room faithfully looking for a solution to their problems. Their attempts were constantly coming up short however.

Lucius Malfoy was still in Azkaban.

Danielle spun leisurely in the room, taking it all in. She knew she couldn't stay long for there were eyes everywhere, but old debts needed to be paid. Taking out a bright red envelop, Dani stepped over to the desk and placed it delicately on the acid green desk pad, her fingers lingering slightly over the serpent-headed letter opener.

Someone stirred upstairs, unnerving Danielle. She needed to get out before her luck ran out; the prophesy hung heavily in her mind. Pulling out her wand, she slid over to the doorway and listened intently for any other disturbances in the eerie silence.

The floorboards on the upstairs landing groaned under an intruder's weight.

* * *

"We should go back there." Bill Weasley was standing behind his parents in the kitchen full of Order members. 

"Oh, I'm sure they've made it unplottable by now. And it has a secret keeper no doubt. I'm afraid that even Danielle and Sirius could not lead us to the building, if it's even still there." Dumbledore's mouth twitched in its usual manner and he continued, "The information that Danielle and Sirius retrieved for us already is invaluable. I plan to leave shortly in search of something she found. It really has placed us quite a bit forward."

"But at what cost," Sirius asked quietly. He was standing in the darkest corner of the kitchen, hidden in deep shadows.

"I'm sure you know, Sirius," Dumbledore began, "that some things happen for certain reasons. I believe that timing and fate are everything sometimes."

Sirius growled and threw the nearest chair against the opposite wall, narrowly missing Charlie.

"Sirius!" scolded Lupin.

"What?" Sirius yelled, throwing up his arms in mocked innocence and disgust. The others stared at him as if he just announced Voldemort was his uncle, making him all the more mad. Defiantly, he stared back at them before his temper got the best of him and, growling predatorily, he stormed up the stairs, feeling their eyes on him as he left.

Everyone still in the kitchen looked stunned, except for Dumbledore who seemed quite amused. Lupin cleared his throat and offered softly, "Danielle hasn't returned yet," as if that explained away Sirius' anger.

* * *

"Cissy! What's going on," Bellatrix Lestrange asked from her position behind her sister in the study. Narcissa Malfoy had her wand held at shoulder level, pointed into the semi-dark study at the foreign object. It hadn't moved since she entered the room but she wasn't about to let her guard down for anything. 

"I don't know! Lumos," she said, her lids widening as the light assaulted her eyes and she saw what was before her.

"It can't be! How!"

"I don't know." Narcissa stepped over to the desk and picked up the small red piece of paper; her sister ran to the open window and peered out at the night for signs of the deliverer of the howler.

"Do you think it's from Him," Bella's voice dropped in respect with the last word.

"One way to find out." Narcissa slipped a shaky finger under the seal which brought the howler to life, magnifying an acidly sweet version of Danielle's laugh.

"Next time you come for me or the ones I love, I'm coming for your _son_!"

Narcissa took a shuddery breath, trying to control the imminent sobs. "That's it. What the Dark Lord has asked, now this…. I'm going to see Snape. I've got to protect my Draco!"

* * *

Kicking closed the truck at the end of his bed, Sirius growled in frustration. He shouldn't have snapped at Dumbledore but he was angry and upset and worried about Danielle. Running his hand angrily through his hair, he knew there was nothing he could do but wait. 

Sighing, he walked over to the window and let the cool night breeze tickle his face. The moon was almost full; the intense light filtered through his closed eyelids. It calmed his nerves but only slightly. He opened his eyes to study the keeper of the night but his attention was pulled toward an object in the distance.

He leaned out the window and watched as the beautiful bird extended the full glory of its wings to the edges of the sky, catching as much of the fleeting, warm night air as it could. The moonlight shone off its back, making it glow magnificently against the velvety night sky. Closer and closer it came, its reddish brown feathers and fierce eyes becoming more apparent as it flew closer. He reached out his hand and let the bird land smoothly on his arm. Stroking its silky wings with his free hand, he walked over to the bed and let the bird hop to the mattress. Slowly, the bird transformed back into the beautiful female form he'd come to love.

"I was merely waiting an owl," he quipped.

"But aren't I better?"

"I suppose. Are your words sharper than your beak?"

She chuckled and walked over to him. "Not today I don't think. At least not for you." She ran her hand down his arm but he quickly pulled away and shifted to the other side of the room. He looked around the tight space, trying to avoid her questioning stare but could feel her eyes burning into him from the window. He was experiencing a wide range of emotions, anger and relief being the top two, and he was afraid he'd get them all muddled up and release the wrong feelings on Danielle. Frustrated, a sensation he was feeling a lot of lately, he moved to the floor and rested his back against the edge of his bed, hanging his head in his hands.

The springs of the mattress groaned under Dani as she sat on it next to him. He felt her leg brush against his shoulder as she shifted to be more comfortable and instantly he felt like he was on fire, radiating from the point of contact.

Lifting his head, resting an elbow on her knees, he asked rather safely, "Is everything ok?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose to ward off an impending headache and then bent down so he could see her smile, "I suppose."

"Good. Because I would hate to find out something happened and you didn't trust me to come along or something. That's a horrible thing to do! I mean, really."

"I suppose."

He flipped onto his knees and grabbed her by the shoulders. "And after I just got you back! How fair would that have been? I deserve to be happy. And who cares if I'm being selfish! I deserve to be!"

"I suppose."

"Is that all you can say?"

"We just found each other again after seventeen years apart. There shouldn't be any more bad blood between us, no matter how mad I know you are at me at this present moment. But, even with all of that, I'm not really worried about what to say right now." She arched an eyebrow, a quirk that he'd come to love, and smiled playfully. She ran her fingers along the sides of his face, tucking his hair behind his ears, letting her hand linger there. His skin was scorching hot against her skin, no doubt from pent up anger. She slipped her icy fingers, still cold from her flight, under his jaw and titled his face slightly upward. Realization dawned on Sirius' face just before she leaned forward and captured his lips with hers.

It was a perfect kiss.

She felt his lips curl in a grin and she pulled away to look in his smiling eyes. "What?"

"Another kiss to add to my memories."

"You can still be mad at me if you wish."

Sirius bit back a smile and clear his throat, trying to remain serious. "I've been thinking about that dumb prophesy."

"Yeah? And?"

"Well, it doesn't say that Danielle Aquila Afton would die, just would be no more."

"Doesn't that mean the same thing?"

"Not if you marry me."

"What?"

"If you marry me, and take my name. Dani Afton, would be no more."

"Very sneaky Mr. Black."

Sirius grinned a devilish grin.

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and the end of another chapter. Happy 4th of July all. Make mine even better and review please!


	10. The Wisdom of the Aged

Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter. I just claim the plot of this little fanfic. And, with this chapter, tis done. Please, review!

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Sirius held his little pup, a birthday gift from his wife, high in the air and delighted in the happy sounds that followed. He then cuddled the little critter close, enjoying the feeling of its hot breath on his neck.

"We're going to have grand adventures, Pup," Sirius sighed, lying down on the couch, his new playmate resting comfortably on his chest.

Danielle stepped into the room and admired the sight of her content husband lounging on the sofa. Sunlight filtered through the open window casting long lazy shadows on the wooden floor and across his resting form. She walked over to her mate and ran her finger down his propped up knee prompting him to sit up carefully, nuzzling his buddy. "That little one's destined to be the next Black trouble maker, I can feel it."

"Of course he is. He's got great role models."

Danielle laughed and took a seat where Sirius' legs once were. "An owl just arrived from Harry. He wants us to come visit him at Hogsmeade during Easter Holiday. He's having a truly horrible year what with looking for information on horcruxes, dealing with Snape, apparition testing and it's only going to get worse for him."

"And Dumbledore won't let us do anything for him."

"You know it's the way it has to be. But we talk about this everyday. Let's talk about something happy for once. What do you think he'll think of him?"

"Who Harry? I think he'll adore little James."

The tiny newborn baby, Sirius' buddy, gurgled on his father's chest and then sighed contently.

"I'm glad we named him that."

"Me too. What about you little Pup? You like being named James?" He loved the nickname, Pup, he and his wife had chosen for their new son, a sign of love he shared with all the ones close to him. He turned to his bride, "Thank you for him. Thank you for my son."

Danielle took the infant from his father's arms, nestled against her husband, and smiled as little James babbled and protested at leaving the comfort and warmth of his dad's chest. "Well, I don't think I had a choice. He was ready to greet this world whether it was time or not."

"Blacks are always impatient."

And the past ten months had proven that. The word yes had barely slipped from her lips when Sirius took Dani by the hand and rushed down to the kitchen. The golden trio and Ginny, curious to the noise, quickly followed and soon quite a congregation had gathered in the basement of Grimmauld Place.

"Professor, marry us!" Sirius beamed at Remus and Tonks who appeared pleasantly stunned; he patted Harry's shoulder in excitement, letting it sink in for everyone. Professor Dumbledore's mouth twitched as always and finally broke into a genuine smile.

"So, it appears that the prophesy will come true tonight then? Danielle Afton will be no more very shortly."

"You'll do it then?"

"How can I avoid my part in what's fated to be?" Empowered by his rights as Chief Warlock and Grand Sorcerer, Dumbledore conducted a quick and simple ceremony, with all the important people in their lives in attendance.

Shortly after that, Danielle became pregnant with baby James, who demanded his command performance a mere eight months later, persnickety and proud.

"Danielle? Did you fall asleep on me?"

Titling her head back on his shoulder, she shared a grin with her husband before climbing to her feet to take her son to his bassinet. She passed Dumbledore at the doorway; he tweaked the little tiddler's cheek before entering the room and turning his attention to the elder Black.

"He's a beautiful child, Sirius. And I'm sure he'll grow up to be much like his father." Dumbledore sat next to the younger wizard, enjoying the shapes and shadows created by the sunlight dancing across his robes. "I don't doubt ten months ago if I had told you that you would be here today, with a wife and a son, you would have committed me to St. Mungo's."

"And yet for some reason, I think you knew, didn't you?"

"Prophesies are remarkable things. They deliver this fantastic news, more than likely telling of the impending doom of one wizard or another, the purpose of which we're to figure out through the due course of time."

"Harry told me of his."

"Ah yes. I'm afraid there's nothing either of us can do about that. What's meant to be is meant to be."

"I remember thinking the same thing about Dani's prophesy not too long ago. It seems I was pretty instrumental in the outcome of that one." He watched as Dumbledore stood and walked over to the window. The aged wizard didn't respond to Sirius' comment so he continued. "You know I'll do everything in my power to protect him."

"Ah yes. But remember, James did the same thing for his family and left Harry without his father. Would you want baby James to grow up without his?"

Standing abruptly, Sirius ran his hands through his hair and tried to control his anger. "Don't make me choose between my sons."

"But Harry is not your biological son, Sirius. And he's already lost one father in this war, how do you think he'd feel if another father-figure died for him and he lived? He would never forgive himself for depriving baby James of his father knowing the ache he lived with for so many years without his." The professor stopped and chose his next words carefully. "You once struggled with viewing him as a replacement for James, if I'm not mistaken. I believe that having a child of your own has made you regard Harry as a child in need of a father. But, I must insist that you see him as the strong, exceptional wizard he is becoming; especially in the months to come. I feel quite certain that there are events in your future greater than either you or I can begin to understand."

Sirius turned to Dumbledore. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Professor Dumbledore adjusted his robes over his shriveled blackened hand and replied, "I think you should go be with your family, Sirius. It's what matters now." Then with a soft pop, Dumbledore apparated from the room, leaving Sirius with the only choice of compliance.

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The nursery was filled with soft sweet humming when Sirius finally walked through its doors. The room was brightly decorated in posters of Quidditch teams, gifts from Ron, loads of picture books from Hermione and Ginny, and an enchanted mobile that hung over the crib with miniature brooms and Snitches that were charmed to languidly float above the crib to entertain James, a gift from Harry. The bureau was full of knitted clothes from Molly, bright gold J's monogrammed on each, and several Muggle artifacts—rubber duckies, plugs, and stamps—lined the shelves from Arthur. The child truly was loved. 

Dani's humming tapered off as James slipped peacefully into dreamland.

"Pup asleep?"

"Yes. Just. He's like his father; he could sleep in the middle of a Quidditch field during the World Cup if the mood struck him."

"Nah, it's got to be your singing." He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his chin on her shoulder to watch their sleeping son. "I do believe your time with the Sirens made your singing all the more beautiful."

She snuggled against her husband and sighed, remembering a time long ago. "If I find out that that's one of your lame pick-up lines, it'll be your funeral Black."

"Sorry, Gracie, no more pick-up lines. I'm a married man. I don't think my wife would appreciate it."

"Funny Sirius. Too funny." Sirius wrapped his arms tighter around his wife's waist and smiled contently. Danielle rested her hands on his forearms and continued, "What did Dumbledore want?"

Dani felt Sirius' breath catch and she knew she found an exposed nerve she hadn't intended on hitting. Turning in his arms, she wrapped hers around his neck and returned his embrace. "That bad?"

"Oh, no no no. Wasn't bad at all. He just reminded me how truly blessed I am with the family I have." There was a touch of sadness in his voice though, telling Danielle there was something more there. He loved his family, she knew it. It might be unconventional, but happy nonetheless. And then it hit her.

"A family that includes Harry. A young man fated to death or murder."

Pulling away from Danielle, he studied her face, tucking strands of hair behind her right ear. "Yes."

Dani opened her mouth and closed it quickly. Again, she opened her mouth and tried to think of something to say but couldn't, feeling more like a fish than anything. Sirius helped her discomfort by kissing her sweetly. When he pulled away, she found her voice again, "I wish I could solve your problems, Sirius."

It was Sirius' turn to be speechless. What Dumbledore had said weighed heavily on his mind. Being with his wife and son weighed heavily on his heart. And then it all seemed clear to him. "But that's the problem. They're not my problems. They're Harry's. And I know that he needs to deal with them. Don't worry, Gracie. I really don't want to die again."

Dani chuckled then turned serious. "But, whatever is to come, I want to be there for him. Fighting with him and for him. Harry deserves it."

"We'll both be there then."

"I bet. I've never known you to turn down a good challenge."

"Of course not, love. It's why we work so well together."

Offended, but only slightly, Dani slapped her husband's shoulder and kissed him softly before pulling away and heading for the door. Sirius turned one ear to her explanation that she was going to start dinner and one ear to his son who was softly snoring in his bassinet.

As Danielle's footsteps faded, Sirius turned his full attention to the sleeping babe and couldn't help but smile. The Pup had his mother's hazel eyes, Sirius' natural disposition for getting into trouble already, and a beautiful hodgepodge of all the best features of his parents. Sirius tenderly touched his son's head and brushed a wayward tuft of hair off his forehead that the cool spring breeze had blown there.

Stepping to the open window, he quietly closed it protecting his son from the chilling breeze. The sunlight danced across the square, tickling the infant buds promising a beautiful spring and brightening all the deep dark corners that never seemed to get light. It was a perfect portrayal of what the wizard was feeling: happy and content.

Yes, he was more aware of the unseen evil in the world, but now he had dreams and hopes to balance the bad. Quiet corners now worried him; he loved being within the sound of his wife's laughter, whisperings in the kitchen or even his son's screeching. He was happy now.

"Sirius! Come help before the biscuits burn!"

He chuckled to himself and turned from the window. Stealing one last glance at James, tucking the blue blanket snuggly around him, he stepped from the room and headed down the stairs knowing full well that she didn't need his help but that didn't matter.

All that matter was that he was happy and everyone he loved was safe.

For now.

The End

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well, thanks for coming along for the ride. If you have anything to say, please review! 


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